Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on political violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland
West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands
to take them to one of the MDC members. They started assaulting Chiwe Hove (Mai Anna) who
was an MDC member. They also came and killed one of my beasts and left it and then demanded
my MDC membership card which I gave them. They told me that they were assaulting me for being
an MDC member. I told them that I was going to report them, but they said that they had the
blessing of Early Shiri and Josphat Shumba (former MP), Mai Shirichena and Big Chitoro, and the
police were not going to arrest them. Also Abel Masiya Machambanje, Kennedy Hove (war vet),
Patrick Dube Karichana (war vet), Tobia Makwati Badza were the ring leaders. It was now difficult
to campaign for MDC in the area, because of the threats and assault to opposition members by the
Zanu (PF) supporters.
Case 7 - Area: Mberengwa
I am a security member for the MDC based at Mataga. On 25 May at around 11.00 pm I was at
Mataga Night Club with 2 of my friends. Suddenly the doors were closed Some Zanu (PF) youths
and ex-combatants started abusing me and accusing me of being a sellout. The security guard for
the night club then handcuffed me. His name is Later. They then started assaulting me with open
hands, iron bars and booted feet. My colleagues managed to escape. He (Later) ordered the youths
to stop assaulting me, and then he and Samuel Hungwe took over. They assaulted me and demanded
my MDC membership card and the t-shirt. Lost consciousness.
They took me to a certain room in the night club when I came around. One of them ordered the
others to take me to the ZRP camp. Along the way they started assaulting me again, and they
tightened the handcuffs. We arrived at the camp around 3am, and the handcuffs were removed.
They left me there, and a man called Ngwenya came and explained the whole incident to the police.
Some members of the MDC then came around at 6.00 am and took me to Musume Hospital, where
I received medication. The following day they came again and took the list of MDC members from
our offices and then burnt it. Although a report was made, no arrests have so far been made.
Case 8 - Area: Mberengwa
I was a polling agent for the MDC, which was being represented by Mrs Sekai Holland in
Mberengwa East. On 23 June, at around 7.00 pm, I alighted from a bus that had brought me from
Zvishavane to Musume Mission in Mberengwa. As I alighted, I was abducted by a group of 3
people that I do not know. They were calling me by my name. They asked for any ID and they had
an issue of the Daily News that had the names of some polling agents based at Musume. They
compared the list, and my name appeared. They demanded a Zanu (PF) card from me to prove that I
was not an MDC member, which I failed to produce. They started assaulting me with iron bars.
There was now fifteen of them, and they took cash amounting to $700 from me. I suffered head and
back injuries. The people then ran away, leaving me bleeding profusely from the head. I spent the
night on the verandah of a shop at Musume Business Centre, and the following morning I went and
reported the matter at Mataga Police station. I was referred to Musume Hospital fro treatment, but I
could not go back to the same place where I was assaulted. I went to a nearby clinic, where I
received medication (Mataga Health Centre). When I left there had been no arrests, but CID officers
had been deployed to the area to try and arrest the culprits.
Case 9 - Area: Mberengwa
I am the MDC chairperson for Mberengwa East, based at Mataga. It started when the results of the
February referendum came out. They started intimidating me because I was the chairperson. They
alleged that I was responsible for the campaigning of the no vote. From there, they attacked my
shop several times, and I made reports to the police on 39 different occasions. No action was taken
at any point. Windows were destroyed, and the telephone was disconnected and vandalized. On
another occasion cash amounting to $3000 was stolen, together with several MDC documents. The
Zanu (PF) supporters were being led by Early Masendu Shiri and Later, who is a security guard at
Mataga Night Club. Joramu Chirasha, who is a businessman, and the provincial Zanu (PF)
headquarters were providing the transport to ferry the supporters to meetings. One headmaster,
Munyaradzi Ndlovu, Mai Matavire, Mai Mapingire,. P.P. Shumba (an ex-combatant), Fidzi Shiri,
Ernest Shoko, Sikhangizile and Sithaviso Mataka, and Joyce Chinyoka were present in all the
disturbances, and intimidation. My shop was burnt down on 31 May, and I lost property worth over
$700 000.
On 11 May, Zanu (PF) held a rally at Mataga Council Hall, addressed by Richard Hove, and it
was ordered that I should be murdered by 24 and 25 April (election date). On the hit list were more
than 20 MDC members who were also supposed to be eliminated by election time. We could not
easily campaign because they could come and intimidate us.
On 30 May, I fled after some Zanu (PF) supporters had planned to abduct and kill me. I went
and stayed at Buchwa, with another family. Before that I had spent 7 days hiding in the mountains.
On 31 May I was assaulted by 7 people whom I do not know. They were using sticks to hit me, and
I suffered some injuries, including my left knee and arm. This was the seventh and last time I was
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